The Gentlemen’s Guide to Guilt by Association
by SocialAMAHCHUER
Summary: All Sora wanted was a future, to fall in love, and most importantly- stay afloat. But that’s hard to do with a hot headed wannabe-author hacking away with his sails.


"The Gentlemen's Guide to Guilt by Association"

"_A gentleman can live through anything"_

-William Faulkner

--

I am nothing.

Lost; Hopeless.

My life was _just_ like a little boat -**coasting,** from shore to shore- only to stay in a little harbor, but /eventually_/-_

It would leave.

It always left.

Sure it swayed and swooned, all alone on the ocean blue, but it stayed afloat - no matter what.

And that's just what I was trying to do, to _stay_ **afloat**.

To stay afloat on a sea of memories and-_well, _I didn't know what else what- all I knew I had to do was make it to my safe harbor.

My safe harbor was all that I was going to need.

**Ever.**

But fate wasn't going to set my sails in the right direction, was it?

But I still had to believe. Believing is all I /have/ at this point.

So when Cloud told me what was about to happen, I had to believe there was a /reason/.

There's a reason for everything, right?

I sure hope so or I'm pretty much screwed.

So here I am- In the car, that is; clutching to my little notebook for dear life, and, it /is/ my life, quite pathetically.

It has everything. /Everything/ I would/could never bring myself to say out loud, everything no one /wouldn't/ be and /shouldn't/ be bothered with; and that being said, namely **me**.

Me as in Sora, Sora as in me.

And how was Sora right now?

Sora- was not amused.

/But Sora wasn't going to say anything./

Cloud clattered /on and on_/_, and all he said went in one ear and right out the other.

God, he can be really boring sometimes.

I stared at the city blocks gushing by, grays and greens swashing together as we cornered in on our Brooklyn Heights, the hum of the engine rumbling softly.

What if we weren't moving at all? What if the earth was actually moving beneath us /right now/? And- and we were just /sitting/ here and /waiting/ until it stopped to where we needed to be?

" _- and were going to be spending time together, oh so much time together-"_

What If we never moved at all? We just glided along the streets, how cool would that be? Oh my Jesus, that would be awesome; to /fly/ to /soar/ out into the sky. Hm...Soaring Sora, I could be -like- a super hero!

"_- I can't even believe he agreed to this! Can you believe it? Well believe it!-"_

Hah, me a super hero? I can barely pour milk into a bowl in the morning.

"_- So yeah Sor, they're gonna fly by /so/ fast, you have nothing to worry about! He's really such a-"_

Hrm... I really am such a klutz, I really should do something about that... and chickens, I don't like chickens; they should be destroyed or something. OH! And clowns. I hate clowns, there all scary and creepy- and what kind of man wears /that/ big of a shoe? Oh no! What if he finds out I hate him and he squashes me! What would I do? I WOULD BE FLAT AS A PANCAKE!

"_-and he majors at-"_

My Jesus? Would anyone help me? WOULD THE CLOWNASAURUSREX POUR SYRUP ON ME AND EAT ME?

"_-So what do you say Sora?"_

THIS IS TERRIBLE! I DON'T LIKE CLOWNASAURUSREX'ES'ES'ES!

"_Sora"_

What would Cloud think? And Leon? He would probably scrape the scraps of my pancakeness off the concrete while Cloud chased the clown with poisoned seltzer water. Yeah, hehe!

"_I said Sora!"_

That'll teach you, stupid, stupid clown.

"**SORA!**"

"AHH!" I jumped out of my seat, my hand over my racing heart beat, other hand clutching the book to death. "Jesus Cloud! You scared the shiggers out of me!"

Cloud chuckled slightly, blue eyes returning back to the road. "You didn't hear a word I said did you?"

"Uhh..." I just stared blankly forward, as I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "Does it have to do anything with pancakes?"

Please, pancakes, /please/ don't fail me now.

"Yea-**NO!**" His laughter echoed off the black leather of the car as a slumped into my seat. Clouds car is /so/ cool. You should see it. It's a black Mercedes and- GOD ITS JUST SO COOL. Leon got it for his birthday; Cloud had practically /died/ of excitement.

Actually this had to be amongst the few times I've actually gotten to ride in it. Cloud said he wanted to keep it in the "new car smell" condition, but he's had it for /months/ now, and the first day he got it (and ever since) he went /everywhere/ in it. Clouds began to speak as I moved in to listen.

"So as I was saying, Leon's gonna be-"I watched Clouds lips move with the intent to listen, really I did!

Okay no spacing out Sora, Focus, no spacing out. No ...spacing /out/...

Maybe he didn't want me in it, but I was old enough. Hmm, I should go for my permit soon, I mean I /am/ 16!

Well, almost! My birthday /is/ next month! Ye-ah, I'm finally gonna be big enough to hang out with Cloud and his friends. Clouds' 19, Leon too. I don't know anyone else but I'm guessing that they've gotta be older too, older than /me/ at least.

I can't wait to hang out with them and be friends! - but then again... They probably wouldn't like me anyway, I mean I'm only a /kid/ to them I guess... and it's not like I'm "cool" or anything, not like them...

Cloud and Leon are in love-you know, yup L-O-V-E. For FIVE WHOLE MONTHS NOW! I wonder what that feels like, but Cloud says I don't need to worry 'bout that stuff yet, and that I'm "too little".

I don't think 15's too little.

"So what do ya say Sor?"

Oh snap. I blanked out again didn't I?

"Umm...pancakes?" I smiled sheepishly.

Cloud sighed and flicked his fingers against his head.

Curse me and my short attention span.

"Listen" His voice serious."You listen now, /or/ I kill you."

Gulp.

I don't like being dead, please.

"Okay, Leon's moving in." frustrated, he was giving the shorthand version after having given it twice.

Leon? Move /in/? How was /that/ gonna work? What room was he gonna stay in? There's only me and Clouds rooms...and

"Why?" I asked.

"We want to see how it would be if we actually lived together"

I stared confused. Live? Together? Such foreign words. Didn't that happen only when you got married? Like in all the movies? You know, like "Cinderella", and all that /jazz/.

But then again there /is/ that movie "Pretty Woman", (erm- not that I watch that kind of stuff-it-um) but Leon wasn't a hooker! Hooker... it sounds so weird coming from me.

/Huuu-kerr/.

"T-together?"

"Yeah. We want to try it out." Clouds grasp tightened on the steering wheel as we curved down the spine of Willow Street, round Pierrepont, and up Hicks Street.

He seemed to be in a hurry to get home today.

Home. We live in this quiet little apartment, and I just love it there. I love how our windows never stay fully shut, and how the cold breeze makes the blue curtains dance across our floors, or how the carpets 

always gave off this /scent/ when you walked on them. I loved that smell. It's some spray that Cloud uses, and I- sorta sprayed the whole thing all over the place and stained the carpet in the process- he he. Mmmn, maybe when we get home I'll lay on the living room carpet, it where it smells the strongest. I do that sometimes, when Clouds out or because I just /want/ too. It smells like this, spicy, fruity, and just plain /delicious/ smell. I could lay there for hours, snuggling my cheek into the soft white carpets, and falling asleep to the soft howl of the wind...

Hmm, I never realized how quiet it was in here, I wonder if it's just as loud on the outside... My fingers hovered over the window button- **NO** SORA FOCUS!

"Okay" My head flipped towards him. "Why you talkin' to /me/ 'bout this?"

Usually Cloud made decisions, **not** conversations.

Whatever Cloud did was law, and whatever Cloud said might as well be a commandment. He didn't talk to me about anything! He just went right ahead and did it! Like the time we moved and he just burst into my room and...

"Guess what?" He had asked, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"What?"

"Were moving tomorrow, get your shit packed." And with a satisfied smile, he had slammed the door in my face.

I pouted. Clouds /meeaannnn/ sometimes.

"Well..."His voice high as his knuckles turned white.

I clutched into my scarf, feeling the soft mahogany fabric.

There it was I could feel it. Here came-

"We want to be /alone/."

The Decision.

And note that I /knew/ I had no say in what that meant at all.

"**YOU'RE KICKING ME OUT?**"

I screeched, my tongue splattering lightly against fabric, I nearly jumped out of my seat, my little notebook stumbling towards the car floor.

What the **fre-e-e-ke**?

He winced, "Not for real... just for say, a couple of..." His voice, indifferent.

A /couple/? A CUPLAYY OF WHAT?

"/months/? Maybe..."

"**MONTHS!**" I screeched, biting down into the scarf. This-this wasn't-it couldn't be-

"Just two! Three at most!" he quickly added.

I stood there dumbstruck. Where was I going to /go/? The streets? WAS I BECOMING A HOBO? I DIDN'T PUT /THAT/ IN MY CAREERS' ESSAY!

"b-but!" I was about to complain, and I rarely complain.

Out loud, at least.

"Listen Sora," Oh dear, /guilt trip/." you /know/ how much this means to me," Yup here It came. " Leon and Me and trying to get /serious/ and don't worry I've got you all covered" Cloud just seemed to brush my worries away, it didn't even phase him!

I slumped into my seat, termites gnawing at my stomach, and stared at my little notebook I had collected from behind my feet, ( oh, it was going to be written the freek off of it later.) This- I had no right to complain. This was between Cloud and Leons' /relationship/ not between me and soup kitchens.

I know what you're thinking, FIGHT SORA FIGHT! WHY ARE YOU TAKING THIS?

Well I have to take it, for him. He's my brother, I can't say /no/.I owe so much to him.

I shouldn't even be living with him; I'm just a burden; Yup, a burden.

Ever since Mom and Dad died, he's taken care of /me/; he shouldn't have to take care of me. Never.

No one should /ever/ have to even look at me.

So Cloud had decided.

And where did this decision leave me exactly?

Who in the bloogahla knew?

"C-covered?"

What did he mean by covered? An orphanage, a foster home? -Gasp- A CIRCUS?

I WAS NOT WORKING WITH THE CLOWNS.

"Yup," He nodded, matter-of-factly. "You're staying with one of my best friends, Riku."

/Reaper/ who? OH NO, CLOUDS BEST FRIEND IS /DEATH?/ I bit my bottom lip at the thought of it.

"ree-kew?" UGH, it sounded like saw. His name, you know? It sounds like saw to me, and not as in look! I saw something; saw as in- shut up, 

okay? My mind works weird! So what If I associate Riku with the word saw? And the word fan with a buck deer? An' the word blue with Im-blue-aba-dee-aba-doo!?

...

Yeah I know I'll shut up now.

"Don't worry Sor" His fingers clapped against my back sending me face forward into the glove department.

/Ow/.

Did I mention how un/graceful/ I am?

"Ri's great, okay, ya gonna love 'em"

"L-love?"

Cloud said nothing, but pulled against the wheel to smoothly park around the corner of our apartment building, Cranberry Street.

"When?"

How long did I have till I was sent to this Reaper guy with a saw?

"Tomorrow."

And the way he said, it sounded like I wasn't even /allowed/ to question it at all.

Not that I would, anyway.

--

November-r-r-r-ish? I don't know actually. (9:33)

Diary, have you heard the news?

The one about pooh bear and hubbabaloo?

Walking down the street, saying how do you do?

Yes-yeah Diary, so have you heard the news?

The one about me and this Death guy too?

Running around,

To a foreign sound,

As he saws my head off into the ground?

Okay I'm definitely /really/ weird.

SO yeah, Leon's moving in! And guess whose moving out?

**No**, it's not Jesus.

Its /me/. Your lovable, furry, old monster, Grover.

For three months to be exact. Three months without this room Diary, think about it; No more coming in here, no more staring at the white walls wishing I had taken the chance to paint it when Cloud had asked me to. But then again, I didn't want Cloud going through anything for me...

So first off, I know this guy isn't gonna like me.

Why? I'm **me**. **Duh,** that's why. Who wants a 15 year-old nobody around the house? What kind of person even /agrees/ to that? A reaper, /that's/ who.

A-and what if he's mean? And he /really/ doesn't like me? Will he like, throw me into a dumpster?

Not like **that's** anything new.

(Insert clap-clap sound here) But alas, Diary, old chap, we mustn't dwell on such things!

Times-a-wastin! As the westerners used to say, or 'twas it YEHAW? I don't have the slightest ideeer.

(Random bit of eraser here)

(Random bit of eraser there)

(Random bit of eraser EVERYWHERE!)

So anyway, I'm kinda nervous, I know I know, I so shouldn't be, right? IM ONLY STAYING WITH HIM FOR 3 MONTHS.sarcasmsarcasmmmm

(Insert doodle of Sora in a house with a stick figure of a guy holding a saw and saying "I am the reaper! MWAHAHAH I SHALL REAP YOUR SOUL!")

So yeah, that's exactly just how its gonna go. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I mean I have to /sleep/ there and-and- YEAH SLEEP.

I'm only 15. What do you expect diary? Immense paradoxes of doom?

Hah, as if I actually know what that is! I heard it off of Plankton in Spongebob. Dude that guy is serious business.

Wait; shouldn't I know what it is more than Plankton does? I mean, he's only a plant-worm-squeegee-thing. Ugh... I'm so-

So yeah, I'm almost finished packing, and I'm looking un der

M y /b/ ed as we sp/e/a/k.

(Random scratch of pencil here)

(Random scratch of pencil /there/)

AHH founds it, Softee went and hid himself under the bed again. Silly, silly Softee. I snuggles with you now, SNUGGLES.

Oh? I never told you who Softee was, did I diary? How rude of me. Softee is my pillow! THE SOFTEST PILLOW EVER.

Well... so far, there's been about 19 different Softees' this year. BUT DON'T WORRY CURRENT SOFTEE YOU'RE THE SOFTEST YET!

(doodle)

(doodle DOODLE!)

(doodle)

(doodle)

(MORE DOODLES)

So, heh, I'm tired, and I've finished packing whatever I need. /So/ basically, everything I own.

:D

GOOD NIGHT DIARY.

Soraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

--

I'm a little mad, now that I thought about it some more...Cloud, he just /cast/ me aside and didn't even **care**. What if I had to /be/ somewhere? What if /I/ had plans? What /then/? Hah like I actually would have plans...

Yeah, I'm a little grouchy this morning, Cloud just /had/ to insist we wake up at **FOUR IN THE MORNING** to beat the early bird traffic!

So here I am, at **FOUR IN THE MORNING**, carrying my one little duffle bag and throwing it into the back seat of the car. My eyes were struggling to keep open, and my body was trudging against itself in the morning air towards the front seat.

As I collapsed into the car, slamming the door shut, and head immediately falling into Softees grasp, Cloud commented on how I could possibly have so little stuff. I just shrugged as he started the ignition. I had no energy to put off Cloud right now and his need to buy things.

The soft vibrations of the car jittered my tired being slightly, sending unwanted wakeup calls down my spine. I shivered into my soft gray jacket, my soft scarf tickling my face, slumping downwards into Softee; I was just able to see the street signs, steel against soft gray-blue sky.

It felt gloomy, a mist of tired desperation pulling us downwards as if to say "Just give up already", even though we hadn't even exactly started yet. The clouds seemed like heavy clumps of gray clay, hanging to the sky by an invisible string, rotating like a mobile over a baby's bed.

My eyes were fighting against themselves, left eye slowly dropping while I caught on to the dirty tricks my right eye was pulling. Cloud had put on the heat, and I felt like a giant wrapped cocoon.

First we turned and rode down Henry Street, past Love Lane, and Montague Street.

Then Remsen, and Joralemon, still heading down Henrys'. Past Atlantic Avenue, Warren and Baltic- This was pretty far.

We passed Union, and then all I could see was soft gray sky, pigeons flowing overhead, and the soft zuum of other car engines, feeling like I was being sandwiched into the smooth leather seats. What were we like flying all of a sudden? Then I felt gravity push us downwards, as my body felt as if it were going to fall and my skull being pulled, nausea.

And then, everything turned black.

Did I die?

That's when orange began to pulsate through the air, **bum**-bummm. I pushed myself up to orange lights and very few speeding cars.

**bum**-bummm

We were in a tunnel?

Okay, this guy lived really friggen far.

O well, guess this gives me more time to... do whatever.

I was slipping, and as I began to fall into what my sleepy limbs wanted, into the warm lining of leather of the seat, into the soft-soft fabric of my scarf, my eyes lowering slowly, my head slacking... soft light glared into my eyes.

Okay so we were out of the tunnel, apparently. Startled, I looked quickly to see a sign, forcing what felt were blood shot eyes to function, any sign of where we actually were.

**Brooklyn Battery Tunnel**

**Manhattan **

We had a tunnel? Since when? And /Manhattan/?

Oh wells, /sleeeeeep/ I was too tired to think about it.

Bump,** bu-bump. **

And my body jolted up into the air.

/Ugh, noooooooooooooo. **bumpy roads**.

I grimaced, and whimpered, closing my eyes.

Just five, five minutes were all that I needed.

**Bu-bump!**

**Ow.**

**Hatehatehatehatehate.**

After many failed attempts at sleep, I decided it was pointless and went back to Street Spotting again.

Rector Street.

**Pft**, rector.

Trinity PL.

What did PL stand for?

Liberty Street.

...

Williams Street.

...

Beekmant Street

...

Nassau Street

...

Frankfort, Pearl, St. James, Bowery, Cooper Square...

Roads twisting and turning, spinning and falling, /up and down, spinning my desperate brain 'round and around...

Bryant Park.

The last thing I thought before I collapsed into a cocoon of warmth?

Mm-phf, /**far**/.

--

I was in a hotel.

With awful yellow walls and a creaky bed; The television was smashed, and hanging out of the rotting wood of the cabinet.

A-and there was howling.

/Lots/ of scary howling.

There was /shadows, shadows everywhere.

/Clawing, /screaming/.

Screaming at /me/.

It was so far, so high pitched, and-and they were saying something...

This noise, it kept on getting closer and closer and-

And that's when I woke up to the screeching of Clouds car, and the sudden tug on my seatbelt that sent me flying foward.

"CRAZY SON OF A BITCH" Cloud cursed out the car window, as the perpetrator rode down the street, middle finger held promptly in the air behind him.

"C-cloud? Wh-what-"

"That Son of a bitch cut me off! WHAT AN ASSHOLE!" The anger, it seemed to radiate off him and stab against my skin. I squiggled down into my seat. I don't like when people yell.

I don't like it at all.

"Fucken New York, Suck my-"

It makes my heart beat, /really really/ fast, like its gonna explode. And, and then I can't breathe.

I bit my lip as my heart began to bam in my chest.

Bump.

Bump.

Bump.

Bump.

Bump. **Bump.**

Bump. Buh-**bump**.

Bump. Buh-**bomp. Buh-bomp. Buh-bump.**

My chest was heaving up and down as I clutched my eyes and bit my lip harder.

WAS CLOUD MAD AT ME?

BECAUSE OF /ME/ WE WERE ALL THE WAY OUT HERE! AND WHERE WERE WE ANYWAY? AND WAS CLOUD HURT? WHAT IF CLOUD DIED? THEN I'D GO TO JAIL AND NO ONE WOULD GIVE ME HOME MADE COOKIES. AND EVERYONE WOULD HATE ME MORE THAN THEY ALREADY-

"That bas-! Sora! **Sora, calm down.** Shh, Sora. Calm, le- down... breathe, breathe..." And for a few minutes Cloud breathed with me.

In with the good.

Out with the bad.

In with the good.

Out with the bad.

My heart calmed down and my head clamped up as my breath returned to normal.

"I'm Sorry" I said quickly. Heat rising to my cheeks. This was so embarrassing, I always felt so stupid after my "episodes".

Cloud leaned over awkwardly and wrapped his arms around me.

"Sora, you have to stop doing that, you're going to give yourself a heart attack" I nodded into his shoulder, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Then He immediately let go, I let go.

Our hugs never lasted very long.

Which makes me sad cause I really likes hugs, but no one likes to hug for long times. I guess that must be weird.

Now don't worry about my "episodes", there just stress induced, mostly when people yell, or- I don't know. Stressed induced, my doctor had called it. He said it goes away eventually. I hate it though, it makes me look so stupid clutching at my sides gasping for air like a fish.

Cloud continued to drive, and I looked to the clock.

5 am.

We've been on the road for an hour? Where /was/ this place?

I looked out the window and at a sign that made my mouth drop.

Madison Avenue.

And if you didn't know, that's a /long/ way from Brooklyn Heights.

At least to me it was.

Cloud parked the car in a matter of mere seconds, the wheels coming to a discreet halt. He looked towards me and smiled that lovely smile he has.

"We're here" And I tried to smile back.

He climbed out of the car, and I did the same. I didn't feel so tired all of a sudden, guess my power nap did some good. Cloud plucked my duffel bag from the trunk and threw it over his shoulder.

"Ready?"

I bit my lip.

Ready as I'll ever be. I nodded and smiled. He ruffled my brown locks and began to walk up the street. I ran after him.

I was nervous. What was I suppose to do? Just /lay/ there for three months? I was never good at first impressions; can't you tell by my overly huge friend base?

cricketcricket

I pouted. I'm t00 mean to myself sometimes.

We walked into this /huge/ white apartment building, I mean- has to be the biggest building I've ever seen.

Cloud lead me down the hall and to the elevator as I tried not to slip on marble floors and the high of the floral scent that wafted down the hallways.

As the doors closed, I gasped a little as I stared at the doors. They were practically /mirrors/. Perfect stainless steel, gray mirrors. My fingers grazed the cold metal as Cloud punched in the buttons.

There I was, /so/ short compared to Cloud, who towered over me.

My brown hair was a mess again, like I ever fixed it anyway, and my scarf was covering my lips. My blue pants covered my white sneakers and my grey jacket was buttoned up to my neck. Softee trailing against the floor in my small fingers.

I sighed inwardly.

I looked 5.

"Sora?"

I looked up at him.

"You'll be fine okay?" I nodded and smiled, despite the horrible feeling in my stomach; Nervousness finding its place in me. This was it, I was here.

The doors opened with a /ding-dong, and I followed Cloud out the door.

I opened my eyes wide to the beauty around me. The hall was gorgeous; a deep red-almost plum carpet ran up and around the corner, to the fork in the road. The white walls were carved with antique floral designs. Chandeliers linked against one another, glistening in honor of 

his unworthy presence. It was so pretty compared to the dingy, musty feeling of their own halls back home.

Then I tripped face flat on the floor.

For such an elegant place, /I/ sure wasn't.

Cloud didn't even /bother/ to help me up but just walked up to one of the white doors.

Number 78.

Well number 78, /you/ contain my destiny for the next three months, nice to meet you.

I'm Sora, and I am scared shotless.

I heard clinging and looked to Clouds hands.

"Keys?" Cloud flashed a smile to me.

"Best Friend privileges", talking as If I knew what those were, and as he unlocked the door with a soft /click/ I closed my eyes all together, dread filling my veins, fueling.

Oh scroodles-n-noodles.

I was so scared.

--

No, there was no infinite doom, there was- was silence.

I had expected, fire and lightning, smoke machines and fake blewd from this Reaper guy. Saws swaying along the walls, tips grazing the walls edge.

No.

What I hadn't expected was calming grayish-greens and energetic sea-blue pooling against the walls. Okay, so the 1st wall I see was looking pretty normal so far, but- what if that was just a delusion? There had to be evil somewhere in this place.

"C'mon Sor" Cloud yawned lazily as he walked into the apartment with long strides, while I followed behind with meek footsteps. I closed the door slowly, and dragged Softee along Plum throw rugs that crimped against his white case. The ceilings where high; skylights shining down onto picture frames and silver lamp stands, making them glisten like freshly coated snow. The couches were warm and brown, begging for you to cuddle up with them and share a cup of steaming hot cocoa.

The windows were covered with sheer black curtains, one of those slide-y doors that open towards balconies. Mirrors played against the walls as a decorative touch, or this guy really liked to look at himself before he tore apart souls.

This was only the front room, there was others waiting for me to explore.

"It's nice huh?"

Clouds voice shot me back into reality, I nodded, smiling though he could only see the tips of my curled lips over my scarf. It was spaztastical.

Cloud dropped my bags to the floor with a light umf, and began to pull at his black scarf throwing it onto the bar in the corner that I just seemed to notice. Lines of liquor coated the shelves, some almost half-way gone.

Cloud sighed as he dropped onto the couch, swaying his feet ontop of the coffee table. I stood, I felt- uncomfortable, like I wasn't welcomed on that warm couch.

"Cloud, um- Ri-?"

"He's not here, Sora, so relax. He's gonna be back later" Cloud answered breathlessly as he flicked the plasma on, murmurs of tiny people filled the room, destroying the serenity of it.

I sighed, playing footsie with my shoes, dropping Softee to the floor and unbuttoning my gray jacket, placing it nicely over a bar stool unlike Clouds', who sprawled against the white marble. My scarf met my jacket, exposing my white long-sleeved Hanes shirt. It was a little big, covering the knuckles of my hands slightly, but it was comfy and that's all I really cared about.

"C-cloud?"

What was I suppose to do? Just stand there?

"Oh! Yeah, you're room, it's the first one to the left."

I nodded even though I highly doubt Cloud would notice anything I did. I grabbed Softee, my duffel bag, and dragged them through the grayish-navy blue corridor. It was at least 5:30 and the gray outside was starting to lighten up, the time must have caught up with me, because I suddenly felt exhausted and the battle against my eyelids and the balance of my two left feet resumed.

I reached to the knob of the white door, the first one to my left, which was the first door in general. I opened it to reveal a pretty big white room, but I could look at how pretty it was later. My left fingers slipped from the hold of the duffel bag as I staggered towards the fluffy white bed. Softee was swung into my face as I fell onto cloudlike softness, and drifted into silent sleep.

--

**Bam.**

Riku swung the door open without much care, slamming it shut, as he threw his shoes against the wall.

Food;

Was the word on his mind. When Riku got hungry, nobody survived, and those who did, suffered terrible scars.

He threw his keys onto the couch, and pulled apart his navy blue jacket, it cascading to the floor. He strode to the kitchen, the gurgle in his stomach almost unbearable.

That was the last time he passed up breakfast at Kairis', **ever**.

The fridge door was thrown open at his expense, things toppled over as his greedy fingers scowled its shelves for something edible.

Peanut butter? No.

Toast? Ew, was that mold?

Chocolate?

"Fuck yeah, chocolate." Riku whispered to himself as he tore the bar from its shelf, slamming the fridge shut.

Riku threw the bar against the counter, as he pulled apart drawers in search of delicious marshmallows.

"Ye-ahhhh S'mores"

Riku took out a fork and stabbed the little bugger, almost laughed inhumanely as he scorched it over the stove fire.

"FUCK, CRACKERS" Riku screeched as he searched for the crackers, eventually finding them in the back of the cabinet and smashing his gooey delight together. He licked his lips and took a bite, and moaned into pure heaven.

He walked out of the nearly destroyed kitchen, happy as can be; he had a fucking s'more for breakfast, who wouldn't be?

Rikus' feet walked down the corridor, munching away at toasted-chocolaty goodness as he passed by the first door to the left.

"/mnmn-a/..."

Riku cocked a brow, mid crunch, as he walked backwards, leaning back into the room.

Unfazed by potential murder, Riku walked up over to the bundle of white comforter on his guest bed.

He pulled the first sheet down to reveal a head of cinnamon brown hair, nuzzling into a pillow.

What the-

"Oh" He whispered in recognition.

Oh yeah, Today was the day Clouds' runt of a brother came to stay for three whole, glorious months.

Joy.

Riku rolled his green eyes and tossed the cover over the little runts head again.

Oh well, at least he was sleeping, and that meant Riku didn't need to deal with him yet.

Riku closed the door behind him and walked further down into his room, closing the door.

He sighed.

This was going to be a long three months.

--

Reviews??:D worth continuing? I love hungry rikus :D


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